Mower driving head



` fSept 17, 1940. D. n. ROGERS 2,214,777

v Mowgn DRIVING HEAD Fiied sept. 21, 19:58 2 sneejcs-sheet 1 l INVENTOR D, R age/(1s.

ATTORNEY Sept. 17, 1940. D. D. ROGERSv MowEn DRIVING. HEAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Filed Sept. 21, 1938 5&7 02 as il m mM@ Q WMWWW ,Il NH La is 5 5 F .5 5 k5 1 1 /m 2 f6 j 0%. r .mf .M i f 4, 5 Y

Patented Sept. 17, 1940 UNITED. STA-Tas MOWER DRIVING HEAD Daniel n. mms, columbia, s. o.,

assigner, 4by y direct and mesne assignments, to Mower Driving Corporation, Columbia, S'. C., a cl'pilratlon of South Carolina Application September 21, 1938,-'Serial No. 231,041

2 Claims.

mowers. As is commonly known, agricultural implements of this liis/pe are customarily of a fairly complex construe ion. The ordinary. mower as used in farm work, comprises a wheeled vehicle wherein the traction afforded by at least one ofthe wheels constitutes the source of driving power for the sickle blades.r

This circumstance naturally makes `the machina fairly complex as already suggested, embodying in it anassemblage of power transmitting parts, braces, supports and the like, all requiring a degree of maintenance and figuring in the ultimate high cost ofthe implement.

It is herein proposed to provide not only a simpiiiied mower and one which can be made and marketed at a proportionately f low cost, but ,fundamentally a mower which is made in the form of a self-contained unit that can be soldas such, and has only to be attached to a conveyance with a suitable source of power, whereupon the user will have every advantage of a complete mower customarily identified under that name.

With this preamble in mind thel objects of the invention are as follow.:

First, to provide a Amower n bar and its immediately carried parts are adapted to be swung into a cutting position at anyl point within a 90 arc Irom'the horizontal plane.

Second, to provide a mower unit which comprises a self-contained, operative mechanism adapted to be attached to any suitable type of movable support such as a truck or wagon, and adapted to be driven by an appropriate source' of power carried by its conveyance. Thirdfto provide a mower wherein the sickle head is equipped with rubberl abutments at each of its` two sides for the purpose of relieving the device ofu dangerous shocks in the event that the. sickle blades should cut into particularly yheavy brush. Y

Fourth, to provide a v,mower unit wherein the sickle bar is reciprocated by afpiston .type shaft, said shaft being directly driven by a crank, this arrangement enabling setting the cutter bar at. any pitch within the limits denoted, and to assure a perfectly smooth and effective operation atany setting. U

Fifth, to provide an improved swivel connection between the crank and gear cases.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure `1 is aA perspective view of the improved mower unit. s

.of Fig. 4.

' case.

'wherein the cutter inig is accomplished, the bracket I3 .and yoke 5 virtually comprise a part of the chassis, projectving out, to Ione side and suspending the mower.

(ci. ses- 264) Figure 2` is a detail plan viewy illustrating its attachment to the chassis of atruck, the transmission of which is adapted `to provide the source ofdrivin'g power.

Figure 3 is a sectional diagramv illustrating how 5 the cutter bar can be stood in any position within a 90 arc and yet be wholly operative.

Fi'gure 4 is a detail' horizontal sectiontaken substantially on the line' 4-4 of Figfl.

Figure 5 is a detail vertical sectionv taken sub stantiallyonthe line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is af cross section taken on'the line 8-8- 'lis a 'detail perspective view of the gear -15 The improved mower unit is generally designated I. This unit embodies some features which, necessarily, are well known in the art. These features are briefly described as follows: a shoe 2 has pairs of lugs 3 which provide places for the mounting of studs! to which the yoke 5 is pivot- Figure ally connected.

The shoe'2 has the cutter bar 6 rigidly secured 4to itat 1 (Fig. 5). This cutter bar has provision for slidably guiding the sickle bar 8 (Fig. 5):

This bar has a plurality of sickle blades 9 riveted to it, and when the sickle bar is reciprocated'a cutting action takes place because of their interaction with the prongs I0. The shoe 2 lalso has an pstanding lug II for the-attachment of any 30 known kind of lifting means I2 (Fig. 1). As the unit I is moved forwardly over the ground sur face (arrow a, Fig. 1) the sickle blades 9 perform their cutting action. Ordinarily `the shoe 2 and cutter bar 6 are subject to being tilted withrespect to 'the'horizontal plane.7 Ordinary types 4of driving means for the sickle bar impose that limitation upon said tilting,`confining the cutter bar to adjustments within approximately 30 from the horizontal plane.

The improvements to known mowers, embodied in the inventiomkare as follows: a bracket I3 (Fig. 1) is rigidly secured to the yoke 5. This bracket, may' be of any desired type, but it includes a flange I4 with holes through which bolts may be inserted for the fastening of the bracket to some firm support. One suggested model of conveying the unit I is to aiiix. the bracket I4 t.) the chassis I5 of a motor truck (Fig. 2) When this fastenunit in more or less direct contact with the adjacent ground surface. i

Said truck includes a transmission I6. The y the transmission at all times, so that said unit' will be in operation when the truck is put in motion.

The driving shaft I1 extends into a gear case I8 (Fig. 4). The latter is intended to be lled with a volume of oil 'so that the gears will be `hub of the gear case.

vertently separating the constantly lubricated. This makes'it desirable to -provide tne bearing I9 for the shaft I1 with a packing gland 20- to stop the leakage of oil. The

shaft I1 carries a pinion 2|. This pinion is in mesh with a driven pinion 22 on the crank shaft 23. One end of this shaft is journaled in a bronze or similar bushing 24 which is carried by the A 'cap 26 is screwed into this hub to seal the adjacent end of the shaft against the escape of oil.

An enlargement 21 on the side of the gear case opposite to the hub 25 provides one-half of a swivel connection commonly designated 28. The

other half of this connection comprises the sleeve Y 29 of the crank 30.' The enlargement 21 is fitted with a bronze or similar lpushing 3|. Immediately to the inside of this \4bushing the enlargement 21 has a circular groove 32. The sleeve 29 has a matching circular rib 33. The rib and groovel provide a turnable connection which, while allowing the necessary turning motion of the shoe 2 and its carried parts in respect to the gear case I8, prevents the two cases from inad- Vslightest extent, thus affording an oil seal.

This oil seal is ,augmented'by a packing 34 which is` fitted in a circular groove 35 in the sleeve 29. This packing c onfronts the bushing 3l and tends to stop the escape of oil. l Acrank l 35, which is integral with 4the shaft 23, turns in" the case` 30 and drives the rod 31 Wh ich is connected to it. The shaft 23 extends beyond the crank and is journaled in a bronze or similar vbushing 38 in the hub 39 of the crank case 35.

A -cap 40 is screwed into this hub and serves to stop the leakage of oil. A bushing 4I, similar to the two already mentioned, is tted in the sleeve 29 and provides a Ycentral bearing for the crankshaft. The latter, therefore, has a threepoint suspension which serves to give it adequate support and to insure smooth operation.

At this point it is to be noted that;` the gear and crank cases I8 and3ll are made in halges -as shown in the instance of thejcrank case 3U in Fig-s6. This construction is chiefly necessary to enable the assemblage of the swivel connec` tion 21,Y 28 29, In assembling the halves4 the packing 34 will be emplaced in the groove 35 in sections. The various bushings will ordinarily be made inhalves and fitted tightly in the respective .hubs 25, 39, a`nd sleeve 29.- The halves of the' gear case I8 are simply bolted together at 42, but the bolts 43 which secure' the halves of the crank case 38 are long enough (Fig. 5) to reach down and 4include the shoe 2. The latter has upstanding lugs 44 upon which the crank case. 30 is rigidly mounted when the nuts are screwed home on the bolts., The crank case 30 is thus, virtually, an integral part of the shoe 2.

When the cutter bar 6 and shoe 2 are ad- -justed to any desired slope within a 90 arc (Fig. 3) the turning is done on the studs 4. It is to be observed in Figs. 1 and 4 that these studs are centered on the crank shaft 23. Said crank shaft .and studs 4 are thus on a common axis. Turningiof the shoe and cutter bar therefor does not disturb the particular setting of the gear casel I8, the latter ordinarily standing approximately at a pitch of 45 which is necessary for the drive shaft I1 to reach the transmission case 16. By reference to Fig. 3 it is seen that the l 'cutter bar B-may operate in the 45 position b equally aswell as in the level position c.

It is even conceivable that the cutter bar will operate in the erect position d. Regardless of -what the position of the cutter barmay be Within the 90 arc, it will be possible to operate the sickle blades 9 with perfect smoothness because of the manner of driving the sickle bar. l

This drive comprises a shaftk 45 (Figs. 4 and 5) which is connected to the rod 31 by a wrist pin 46. Said shaft is fitted with a bushing 41 in which the wrist pin turns. The shaft l45 is rectilinearlyI guided in its reciprocation by a fairly long bearing 48 at one terminal of thecrank case 30. This crank case also has ai lling of oil, and a packing gland 49 is fitted in thebearing 48 to prevent oil leakage ,around the shaft.

Considerable importance is attached t0 the mode' of connection of the shaft 45 to the sickl bar 8. The latter has a sickle head 50 riveted or 'otherwise secured to itat 5I. The head has a smooth hole 52 which is large enough to receive theI threaded end 53 of the shaft 45.

Rubber or similar resilient abutments 54 are fitted on the fend 53 at respective-sides of the head 5I). Nuts 55 are As crewed onto the end 53 so as 'to back up the abutments 54. These nuts are intended to be tightened 'to thatA degreev reaching ithe mechanism on the ,inside of the case 30. 'I'he rubber abutmentsy 54 accomplish this purpose. y

In the operation of the mower unit the turning of the shoe 2 and cutter bar 6 occurs on 'the common axis of thestuds 4 and crank shaft 23. AS

the latter is revolved by the gearing in Fig. 4, the crank 36 drives the connecting rod 31 and reciprocates the shaft 45. The resulting piston motion vibrates thesickle bar '8 rapidlyand it is easily seen that this characteristic motion pan- -not be interrupted or interfered with at any standing ,position of the cutter bar Within the limits depicted in Fig. 3.

-'It will be understood from the foregoing description that the improvementfrests primarily in what is aptly called the driving head for the cutter bar 6. This driving head'essentially ycomprises'the gearing 'in Fig. 4, and the means for transmitting the driving power which it represents to the sickle bar 8 by a reciproc'atory motion. Although the yoke 5 is necessary for the suspension ofthe driving headparticular emphasis is laid upon the `driving head itself.

aaiavvv I claim:

1. Avdriving head comprising a shoe having cutter meansextending therefrom, a case rigidly mounted on the shoe, a crank shaft operable in said case, means to journal the crankshaft, including a sleeve' extending from the case and having a rib, a driving connection between the crank shaft and said cutter means, driving means for the crank shaft, a case enclosing said driving means, and an enlargement on said case" into which the sleeve is extended, thereby containing the sleeve and having a groove in which the rib is turnably fitted to provide an axially inseparable coupling for the cases and a swivel connection for the swinging of the shoe Iin respect to the driving means and its case.

2. A driving head comprising a shoe, al case rigidly mounted on the shoe, cutter means carried by and extending from the shoe, said case 20 having a bearing in linewith and overlying a portion of the cutter means, a shaft sudably supf yconnecting rod joining the shaft for the reciprocation ofthe shaft, driving means for the crank shaft, a case for the drivingy means, being loosely mounted upon the crank shaft, and meansv for turnably connecting the case of the driving means with` the rigidcase, permitting relative turning in said vertical plane'by a swinging of the shoe for the raising and lowering of the cutting means.

Y' DLANIELD. ROGERS.' so 

